OFFICE 95

This building is located in the small coastal town of Tirúa in Chile, and forms part of the reconstruction effort following the devastating earthquake in 2010. This pavilion, set in the midst of a once flooded park, has a concrete dome structure, framed by a slightly higher external square perimeter. The intersection of the two systems results in four arched openings on the sides of the otherwise enclosed box. Three of these openings can be closed-off by a counter-weighted system of vertical sliding gates, which extend the full length of the façades. These gates are designed as lattice walls with wood infill, suggesting a frieze and emphasising the regular rhythm of vertical sections that incorporate normal size doors within them. On the fourth side, the same timber structure of lattice walls is enlarged as a fixed addition to the pavilion. It contains all the auxiliary rooms, including a small stage, backstage, offices, technical space and a public stair to the roof terrace. In contrast to the washed concrete surface of the pavilion, these four delicate wooden elements are painted in the colours of the local Mapuche population. The high parapets of the roof terrace conceal a planted garden, from which the concrete dome emerges, serving as a lookout post that offers an unexpected view to the Pacific Ocean.